Countdown, Network and Mad As Hell - HuffPo

[WillyT]

Countdown, Network and Mad As Hell
Richard Geldard - Author, Emerson and the Dream of America: Finding Our Way to a New And Exceptional Age
Posted: January 22, 2011 06:48 PM

<snip>

When Keith Olbermann signed off his show on Friday, he made reference to Network, the powerful 1976 network news film written by Paddy Chayefsky, who won an Oscar for his screen play. Even if you haven't seen the film, you know the classic line, "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore," shouted out of windows all over America.

Watching the film again I was struck not so much by Peter Finch's stirring performance or the sad decline of William Holden as the faded news chief, but rather by the two crazed executives played by Robert Duvall and Faye Dunaway. These are the characters of importance here. Their ratings-hungry amorality culminated in the on air assassination of the Finch character, Howard Beale. It was a "necessary" corporate decision.

Did Keith Olbermann reference Network to make a point? Was he trying to say that corporate suits had decided that he was a loose cannon, too far left for the good of profits and the bottom line of the new Comcast ownership? Perhaps, but we will learn more as the story gradually unfolds, which it will inevitably do.

But the point of this post is not to speculate about the reasons for cancelling Countdown, but to suggest that what Network showed us in 1976, thirty-five years ago, was a prophetic take on what we are seeing now on cable television and in particular, the programming of the Fox News Network, whose dedicated followers are mad as hell and whose television carnival barkers whip them up into a frenzy of hatred and fear on a daily basis.

<snip>

More: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/richard-geldard/countdown-network-and-mad_b_812644.html

:kick:

[peacebird]

1. k&r -

[Cleita]

2. This paragraph from the article is so true.

But the point of this post is not to speculate about the reasons for cancelling Countdown, but to suggest that what Network showed us in 1976, thirty-five years ago, was a prophetic take on what we are seeing now on cable television and in particular, the programming of the Fox News Network, whose dedicated followers are mad as hell and whose television carnival barkers whip them up into a frenzy of hatred and fear on a daily basis.

[snot]

3. One consolation:

I understand Keith's non-compete clause says that for the next 6 mos., he's limited to non-media tv. I hope that means he'll still be available on the net.

If so, that's where the future lies anyway. His former masters may end up wishing they'd LIMITED him to broadcast tv.

But can anyone here confirm for sure what exactly "non-media tv" means?

[whathehell]

4. I don't know what "non media" tv is...but I feel hopeful in that

it's for ONLY six months..People here were talking two years!